The incoming president of the FFSL, is all out to give a big hand to bring back Kandy’s football to its former position, which will be a great help for footballers. Kandy had not been in action for some time.
Some of the leading clubs at that time in Kandy were Old Antonians SC, Old Kingswoodians SC, Police SC, Kandy YMCA, Greenfield SC, Kandy Sports Club,Phoenix SC, St. Michael's SC, Gampola Chums, Rovers SC, Kandy YMMA and Red Stars SC It was at that time Kandy District Amateur Football League was formed. It subsequently changed its name to Kandy Association Football League amd served football in Matale, Gampola,Nawalapitiya, Kurunegala and Kegalle, and as the years rolled by, these towns formed their own leagues.
It was St. Anthony's College which first played football. It must be recalled that late M.S. Jainudeen as Secretary of Kandy football, went all out to popularize the game in Kandy at that time. Kandy is a founder member of the football' s controlling body. In the good old days league tournaments were conducted with over 250 matches at a time, with only one ground available.
Today football is not heard of much in Kandy. Football has apparently hit rock bottom. When will Kandy football reach its past glory? Earlier, Kandy won theAll Island Senior and junior League championship for the first time and also toured Nepal. It was the first ever Kandy team to tour overseas. What the controlling body should do is to appoint an interim committee and run football in Kandy until it is properly organized with the support of those who have done great service to this game in the past Kandy football is at a crucial stage, so every one hopes the incoming president of FFSL Dr. Manil Fernando will bring back the game to its former position.
First president from Kandy at FFSL was DIG Bodhi Liyanage and the first secretary was Hafiz Marikar. Some of the people who gave a big hand for football in the early days were late Col. V. H. L. Anthonisz, A. C. L. Ratwatte E.L. Senanayake, M.S. Jainudeen, Dr.C.D.L. Fernando, M. Nadaraja, Kumal Mohamed. When football flourished in Kandy, schools were the nursery of the clubs. Where St. Anthony's, Kiingswood, Dharmaraja, Sri Rahula, St. Paul's (now known as Sri Sumangala), Berrawatts, Vidyartha and St. Sylvester's excelled. In 1963 the Kandy Schools Football Association was formed and it did an excellent job to promote the game. Zahira Gampola, Nugawela Central, Gampola Vidyalaya, Wickramabahu, Kathiresan from Nawalapitiya, Highlands from Hatton and Zahira Matale played under the Kandy Schools Association. Today football is a forgotten game in Kandy. A few years back football was the most popular sport in Kandy. When will Kandy football reach its past glory?
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